μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif
Scholars’ trail — 1reference

The index’s own references — the collections where scholars sighted this story-shape, tradition by tradition. Titles on our shelf are live links; the rest is the frontier, not yet shelved.

  • general *Type 1004.
Within the index

Filed under Thief escapes detection.

3 finer motifs beneath it
Tails in ground. Thief steals animals and sticks severed tails into the ground, claiming that animals have escaped undergroundOx's tail in another's mouth. The thief kills one ox and puts the tail in another ox's mouth: the owner thinks one ox has eaten the otherStolen sheep's tails severed and put in tree. Owner made to believe that they have escaped through the air
Filed beside it
Blame for theft fastened on dupeThe lamb without a heart. Accused of eating the lamb's heart, the thief maintains that it had no heartThief claims to have been transformed into an ass. While the owner sleeps the thief steals his horse, hitches himself to the wagon, and claims that he is the horse transformed into a manThief successfully claims that stolen goods are his ownStolen animal disguised as person so that thief may escape detectionSevered limb prevents detectionThe stolen cow successively pawned. In one night a thief pawns a cow four times, always stealing it immediately and finally delivering it back to its ownerThief presents alibi. Plays all night for dance while confederate commits actual theftDetection of theft of bull escaped by putting boots on bullThieves stretch chain across road and evade pursuersQuartered thief's body sewed together to escape detectionMarked culprit marks everyone else and escapes detectionRepentant thief pretends to have found stolen cow. Upbraids owner for not guarding her betterThief swallows stolen goods to escape detectionThe owner is duped by thief who gives him the task of solving a riddle about the theft just accomplishedThief escapes detection – miscellaneous

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